- #1
mycotheology
- 89
- 0
I'm trying to figure out how Braggs law is useful for analysing crystal structures. So here's the equation:
nλ = 2dsinθ
where λ is the wavelength of incident radiation, d is the distance between each layer of atoms in the crystal and θ is the angle of incidence. So to keep things simple let's say I beam some x-rays at the crystal at a 90 degree angle of incidence so we can ignore the sinθ part of the equation. How does this equation tell me anything useful? Let's say I beam any old wavelength through the crystal onto a screen. There'll be a diffraction pattern. What then? How do I tell when I have found a wavelength that is an integer multiple of the distance between the atomic layers?
nλ = 2dsinθ
where λ is the wavelength of incident radiation, d is the distance between each layer of atoms in the crystal and θ is the angle of incidence. So to keep things simple let's say I beam some x-rays at the crystal at a 90 degree angle of incidence so we can ignore the sinθ part of the equation. How does this equation tell me anything useful? Let's say I beam any old wavelength through the crystal onto a screen. There'll be a diffraction pattern. What then? How do I tell when I have found a wavelength that is an integer multiple of the distance between the atomic layers?